Clothes-line clamp.



E. l@l HUNTLEY.y

CLOTHES LINE CLAMP.

Mmm/mon man Malm. w17.

Fa MQ@ Das. H, MMT,

To all whom t may concern.' i

vBe it knownthat I, Enivns'r Ri. HUNTLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certainnew and useful Clothes-Line Clamp; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to.r which it appertains to make and use thesame, ref` erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

rlihis invention relates to clamping devices and particularly to a device adapted to clamp and hold one end of aclothesline or the like. i r

The primary object of my invention is the provision of an improved clamping device ofthe class described which is simple, strong and durable in its construction, andeasy and rapid to manufacture and assemble the parts thereof.

The invention is vfully described in the u following specification, and while, in its broader aspect, it is'capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in whichi y i Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clamp embodying my invention in holding engagement with "theirope, and Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectionthereof.

Referring to the drawings, '1 designates the base member of the clamp, which member is adapted to be secured to a wall, post or other suitable support, and is preferably stampedV from sheet metal with its central part protruding from its wall engaging edge portion. The outer end face of the base 1, which is preferably vertically elongated, is i formed near its upper end with a transversely extending ridge 2, which is preferably of IL form in cross-section, with the lower leg thereof projecting outward and upward at a slight incline from a horizontal plane and with the upper leg longer and eX- tending upward and inward, as shown. The outer end face of the base is provided adjacent to its lower end with a transverse recess 3 having depressed end portions.

The clamping lever or dog member 4 of the clamp in its preferred form is stamped from sheet metal and provided with a centrally disposed longitudinally extending Specification of Lettersatent,

Application filed March 28, 1917. serial'lvo. 158,054.

:Patented Dec. 11, 191 t.

rearward depression having the bottom.` 5 and opposed side walls 6. `This depression is of greatest depth at or adjacent to its longitudinal center, the respective end portions of the bottonr being tapered outward therefrom, and the bottom at such central or deepest point is provided with a transverse ridge `or hump 7, which forms a depression in the under side of the bottom sub! stantially complemental to and adapted to fit over or receive the ridge 2 of the base member. Y Both the base and lever members 1 and`4are provided atthe edges of their respective ridges 2 and/ with registering apertures S throughwhich the legs of a U-z shaped retaining yolre 9 project. The looped portion of this yokeextends around the outer side of the ridge 7 andthe legs of the yoke preferablyterminate `in coils withl in the hollow ofthe base member topre.- vent their withdrawal from Vthe apertures 8. One ofthe leg coils of the yoke (the lower in the present instance) is enlarged and forms ai spring terminal which bears outward against the base front and normally holds the lever member in clamping relation to the base, to permit a limited outward or opening" movement of the lower end portion of the lever member, the fulcrum point of the lever onthe base being adjacent to the upper edges of the ridges 2 and 7, as isapparent byreference to Fig. 2.

' The `opposed side `walls 6 of the lever member preferably converge at `their ends to narrow the end portions ofthe longitudinally extending depression of the lever, and the outer edges of said walls are rolled outward `to form laterally projecting side wings or flanges l10, 10. These flanges meet attheir upper ends and areprovided at such ends with ears 11, 11, which coperate to form a fork 12 at the upper end of the lever forrehceiving a rope 18. The metal at the base of the crotch is forwardly rounded to prevent cutting a rope resting therein. The wings or flanges 10, 10 are broadened at their lower ends and depressed, as at 14, to form a transverse gripping ridge or jaw in register with the base recess 3 to coperate therewith to grip a rope.

In the use of my clamp the end of a rope to be engaged thereby is extended over the top of the lever 4 within the fork 12 thereof, thence down along either side wall 6 of the longitudinally depressed portion of the lever at the rear of the respective side wing l0 andbetween the-transverse gripping jaw A departing from the spirit of the claims.

vrHaving thus described my invention, what'Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-V 1.v Inl a device of the cla-ss described, a base member and a lever member hinged thereto, the lever, member having a centrally depressed longitudinally extending rearward depression forming opposed side walls and a bottom wall having opposite end portions thereof forwardly inclined, the

side walls of said depression having their outer edges rolled outward to form laterally projecting `flanges which coperate at the upper end of'the lever to form a rope receiving fork and at the lower end of the lever to form a rope gripping jaw. Y

2. In a device'of'v the class described, a base member vand a lever member fulcrumed one on the other, the lever member being formed of sheet metal having a centrally depressed longitudinally extending rearward depression with the end portions of its bottom relatively inclined and with the outer edges of its side walls flared to form laterally extending flanges, which flanges form spaced ears at their upper. ends which coperate to form a fork having a forwardly rolled bottomy at the upper end of the lever, and the lower ends of said flanges being connected and formed with a rearward transversely ,elongated depression to form a jaw for coperating with the registering portion of the base member to grip an interposed object.` e

3. In a device of the class described, base andv lever Vmembers having complemental protuberant and recessed portions in adjacent sides for litting one into the other and permitting a relative rocking of said members, and a yoke connecting said members around 'said complemental portions and yieldingly retaining the members in closed clamping relation.

4. In a device of the class described, a hollow base member having an outwardly projecting ridgev on its outer side, a lever member mounted on said base member and having an outwardly protuberant portion forming a bottom recess for receiving said ridge, said base and lever members having apertures at opposite sides of said outwardly projecting portions, and a yoke of U form fitting around the outwardly project ing portion of the lever member' with its legs projected through said apertures and coiled within the base to prevent withdrawal through the apertures, the coil at one end of the yoke being of spring form to coact with the base member to yicldingly resist an opening movement of the lever and base members.

5. In a device of the class described, a base member formed from sheet metal and having a protuberant part, a lever member formed from sheet metal and provided at its rear side with a depression for receiving the protuberant part of said base member whereby one may have a rocking movement on the other, and yoke means for retaining said base and lever members in assembled relative rocking relation.

6. In a device of the class described, a base member formed from sheet metal and having a protuberant part, a lever member formed from sheet metal and provided at its rear side with a depression for receiving the protuberant part of said base member whereby one may have a rocking movement on the other, and means for yieldingly retaining said base and lever members in assembled relative rocking relation.

In ltestimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

ERNEST R. HUNTLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for v cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Y Washington, D. C. 

